Better Bridge in Barry County
By
Gerald Stein
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North
♠ ---
♥ ---
♦ A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3
2
♣ ---
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West
♠ ---
♥ ---
♦ ---
♣ A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
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East
♠ ---
♥ A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3
2
♦ ---
♣ ---
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South
♠ A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
♥ ---
♦ ---
♣ ---
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Dealer:
Vulnerable:
Lead:
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West
Both
A♣
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North
7♦!
Pass
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East
7♥!
Pass
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South
7♠!
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West
7♣!
Pass
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Scoring the Rubber Bridge Contract: Part 2
What bridge player would not want to have a hand
like this? But because of the idiosyncrasies of bridge, it is South with the
spade suit that will be the lucky winner of the contract and play it at 7♠,
bidding and making. But bridge is made of three parts: Bidding, Playing/Defending,
and Scoring. In this second of a two-part series, let’s examine how scoring in
bridge is often overlooked and not easily understood, not only by beginning
players but by players who have played many years. They sometimes allow others
to keep score and seem to be missing out on an important part of the game. Part
one of this series focused on Rubber Bridge scoring for games and part scores.
Part Two will focus on slam scoring, doubles and redoubles.
While Rubber Bridge is the technical name for the
kind of bridge that most players enjoy either at homes of friends or relatives,
it often has other names as well. Often called Social bridge, Kitchen bridge, Contract Bridge, or other names, Rubber Bridge
is the form of bridge that is easily picked up anywhere with as little as one
table of four players. Scoring Rubber Bridge at the slam level is the purpose
of this column.
Some basic reminders are in order for those who are
new to the game of bridge and want to know about the scoring aspects. While we
do use all 52 cards in the deck, we know that they are divided into four equal
hands of 13 cards each. Each player receives her 13 cards and sorts them into
the suits. In today’s hand, imagine the surprise and the laughter when the
Bridge instructor arranged this artificial hand. Each one thought that they
would be the winning hand, but because our four suits are ranked in order, it
is the lowly clubs that bids first, then the diamonds, and then the hearts, and
the ultimate winner is the spade suit. Of course, an easy way to remember the
ranking of the suits is by their alphabetical order: C, D, H, and S.
While there are thirteen tricks to be taken in each
hand of bridge, we know that the first six are a basic requirement. Called
Book, before we can make a bid, we know and understand that we must take the
first six tricks and then our numerical bid. Thus, the highest bid that we can
make to take all 13 tricks is not 13, but Book plus 7 which equal the 13 tricks
bid and won. In today’s hand, no matter what the lead from West, and no matter
how impressive dummy’s diamonds are, they will never be used. South will trump
the opening A♣ lead and play one spade after another claiming all 13 tricks and
making a grand slam in bridge.
The bidding and the playing and defending are over.
Now for the scoring of today’s hand. Wherever do we start? Rubber Bridge and
other forms of bridge basically use the same format for scoring tricks bid and
made. The major suits of hearts and spades, the minor suits of diamonds and
clubs, and the no trump hands all are assigned points to be used in reaching
the score of 100 for a game. Tricks above our Book of Six bid and made for the
majors of hearts and spades are worth 30 points each. We therefore need Book
plus four more tricks to reach 100 or over. Tricks above our Book of Six bid
and made for the minors of clubs and diamonds are worth 20 points each. We
therefore need Book plus five more tricks to reach 100. In No Trump, the points
are set as follows: the first trick above our Book of Six bid and made in No
Trump is worth 40 points. The second, third and so on are each worth 30 points.
So a 3NT contract of Book plus 3 tricks bid and made will score 100 points and
make game.
In Rubber Bridge, a rubber is completed when one
team has won two games. If the opponents have won one game, and your team has
won one game, then it goes to the best of three. The winner of the two games is
generally the winner of the rubber as extra points are added to the score card
for winning in the form of bonuses. If your side wins a two-game rubber, your
side adds 700 bonus points to your side of the ledger. If it is a three-game
rubber, then the winner of the two games will receive a 500 point bonus.
Finally, scoring a small slam, or in today’s case,
scoring a grand slam for the North/South team, there are additional bonus
points to add to your side of the scorecard. If you are vulnerable which means
your side has won one game towards rubber, then you can expect to receive an
additional 1500 points on your side if you bid and make the grand slam. If you
make a small slam, then you can expect to receive 750 points. If you are not
vulnerable and make a small slam, you will receive 500 points and if you are
non vulnerable and make a grand slam, you will receive 1000 points.
So, to score today’s hand and see how many points
they have earned, let’s do the math. We know that both sides are vulnerable, so
expect the most points possible on this hand. South bid and made, which is
always the key element, bid and made,
and took 7 tricks above the Book of Six. Seven times 30 points for each spade
trick equals 210 points. Since both sides are vulnerable, we know that both
sides have won one game each of the three-set rubber. So for making two out of
three games, North South will receive a bonus of 500 points. Now we are up to
710 points. For the grand slam bonus, bid and made, vulnerable to boot,
North/South will receive 1500 additional points.
In addition, in Rubber Bridge, honor points are
counted if they are claimed! For having all of the top five trump honors, claim
an extra 150 points. Today’s South remembered to claim the honors, and she added
the 150 to all of the bonus points. The grand total for North South as they
complete this hand: 2360 plus whatever they earned on the previous game bid and
won. East/West will also add up their paltry points, but they will be nowhere
near to compete with North/South.
Double and redouble are also important parts of the
bridge scoring. Easily understood, a business double or a penalty double from
the defenders announces that they think you will not make your contract. If
they, in fact, do set your contract, expect to pay twice the penalty as you
would have. If you feel confident that they are wrong, you may redouble and
then the penalties and/or rewards are figured at four times the normal result.
Other uses have been developed by bridge gurus who use them with some unusual
meanings since penalty doubles are not common. Redoubles are even less common.
Now if you are playing for money, and you are East
and West, you might think that a penny a point might be a bit steep.
Fortunately most bridge players play for fun and not for money. Learn the
scoring and keep an eye on the scorecard if you have always allowed others to
score for you. You will improve your game and keep your partner happy.
Gerald Stein
Number of words: 1387
June 12, 2015
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